Special Correspondent:

The government’s Bridge Department has planned to build another bridge near the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge and Railway Bridge covering some parts of Sirajganj and Tangail district.

Meanwhile, a consulting firm has already been appointed for the feasibility study of the new bridge. The study will closely analyze the possible location of the new bridge, technical challenges, economic impact and various environmental aspects, said Bridge Department officials.

It is to be mentioned that, a new railway bridge was inaugurated this year just 300 meters upstream of the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge.

Regarding the initiative to build a new bridge, Bridge Department officials say that, the width of the Jamuna Bridge is less than the connecting roads on both ends. With the increasing rate of vehicle traffic in the country, a new bridge will be needed to travel on this route in the near future.

Although Bridge Department officials talk about the need for a new bridge on the Jamuna, infrastructure experts fear that so many infrastructures in the nearby areas may have an adverse effect on the river in the near future.

Dr. Hadiuzzaman, a communications infrastructure expert and professor at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) said that, after establishment of the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge, adverse effects on the course of the Jamuna river including emergence of innumerable chars as well as massive erosion along the riverbanks have been noticed in the last few years.

He also said, “If a new bridge is to be built on the Jamuna, river management will definitely be required. There is a fear of its adverse impact on the natural flow of the river. The decision to construct the bridge should be made only after analyzing these issues through the proper survey. The Bridges Department must be pay heeds in these regards.”

The consultancy firm IUT-Devcon Joint Venture has been awarded the survey work for the construction of a new bridge on the Jamuna. For this, the Bangladesh Bridge Authority has signed a contract of Tk 142.9 crore with the firm. In addition to the construction of the new bridge, the IUT-Devcon Joint Venture will also conduct a survey to widen the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge.

When asked about this, Bridges Department Secretary Mohammad Abdur Rouf told journalists that, “The two tasks are similar. That’s why a consulting firm has been hired for both tasks.”

Regarding the need for the new bridge, he said, “The road is becoming eight-lane on both sides. The Jamuna Bridge in the middle has only two lanes. When vehicles plying on the wide road come to the two-lane bridge, a traffic jam will naturally arise. For this reason, there is now a need for an alternative bridge on the Jamuna. It has also in the master plan of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority.”

When asked where the bridge will be built, the secretary said, “The location will be understood after the feasibility study. Where, it is possible at a close distance, such thoughts may emerge from the survey. It can be next to the existing bridge or even 5-10 kilometers away.”

A large, strong Railway bridge has already been built on the Jamuna within 300 meters. When asked whether another bridge at a close distance could have an adverse effect on the flow of the river, the secretary of the bridge department said, “Our expert team is constantly monitoring the flow of the Jamuna. Besides, we have not yet observed any adverse effect on the river due to the impact of the two bridges. Another new bridge is really needed here. But it takes a lot of time to build another bridge. Now a survey has been taken. Let the survey report come. Then, after taking and checking public and expert opinions, the construction of the new bridge will be started.”

The Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge was inaugurated in 1998 over the Jamuna River. The 4.8-kilometer-long bridge, the country’s second longest, has been used as both a road and rail bridge. Recently, a rail bridge has been built at 300 meters north of the Jamuna Bridge. Initiatives have been taken to widen the width of the bridge by removing the railway track from the old bridge.

Due to the railway, the Jamuna Bridge could not be used to its full capacity until now. Now that the opportunity has come, communication infrastructure expert Professor Dr. Hadiuzzaman suggested for using this capacity to its full potential.

He said, “The road is being widened somewhat as a result of removing the railway from the Jamuna Bridge. The capacity of this bridge is still not being used to its full potential. It is disappointing that, an infrastructure that has been invested in a huge amount of money is not being used to its full potential. In such a situation, it is also important to consider how reasonable it is to build another bridge. The Jamuna Bridge, which was opened in 1998, has not yet been able to fulfill the role it was supposed to play in the country’s GDP. This issue needs to be taken into consideration before building a new bridge.”